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by Jeff James Now that Quake has rocketed to the top of the 3D gaming heap, contenders for that lofty perch have started to pop up and clamber their way to the summit for a mano-a-mano showdown with the heir to the Doom crown. While it may be several months before next-generation titles like Unreal, Prey, and LucasArts' Jedi Knight appear on the scene, that hasn't stopped former Macintosh game developer Bungie Software from entering into the action-gaming fray with a Windows 95 port of its popular Macintosh game, Marathon 2: Durandal. Available for the Macintosh for over a year, Marathon 2 isn't your average first-person-perspective 3D shooter. The Macintosh version has a die-hard following. And as one of the first Doom-style games to require Windows 95 for operation, Marathon 2 brings a healthy share of features to the table: SVGA graphics, panning stereo sound, an impressive physics model, computer-controlled allies, and a bevy of unique multiplayer options. But talk is cheap--can Marathon 2 really stand toe-to-toe with Quake? Lock and load, gentle reader, because we're going in to find out!

When he isn't browsing the Net, playing computer games, or falling asleep, Jeff James manages to hold down a full-time day job as the senior editor of Computer & Net Player magazine, where he writes a monthly column about multiplayer and Internet gaming. You can reach Jeff via email at 74774.1635@compuserve.com.